1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to medical apparatus including a valve assembly having a dissolvable valve member and, more particularly, to a relief valve assembly having a dissolvable valve member for use with a urinary catheter.
2. Background of Related Art
Urinary catheters for draining fluid from a patient's bladder are well known in the art. Typically, urinary catheters include a flexible body which is dimensioned to be inserted through the urethra into the bladder. The distal end of the catheter includes an expandable bulb or balloon which can be expanded within the bladder, via a gas inlet valve and conduit, to retain the distal end of the catheter within the bladder. The flexible body further defines a drain lumen which allows fluid to drain from the bladder into a urine collection bag. The urinary catheter also includes a sampling port and an irrigation lumen which allows an irrigation fluid to be injected through the catheter into the bladder to irrigate the bladder. In addition to facilitating withdrawal of urine from the catheter for testing, the sampling port can also be used to inject an anti-microbial solution into the catheter to reduce the risk of infection to the patient.
When an irrigation fluid and/or an anti-microbial solution is injected into a catheter, medical personnel must clamp the catheter downstream of the injection site for a specified period of time to prevent the irrigation fluid and/or anti-microbial solution from immediately draining from the bladder and/or catheter. If the medical personnel fail to remove the clamp, fluid will back up in the bladder and result in discomfort and potential serious harm to the patient.
Accordingly, a continuing need exists in the medical arts for a device usable with a catheter which can retain an irrigation solution and/or anti-microbial solution within a catheter for a specified period of time and, thereafter, permit drainage of the catheter without intervention by medical personnel.